December 2007
Hello from Uganda
Life here in Kampala is getting back to normal after a few intensive months of preparations for CHOGM, the bi-annual meeting of the Commonwealth nations. The Queen of England came together with 53 heads of state and some 5000 delegates. The time leading up to the meeting was rather chaotic as the government was looking to do years of work on the infrastructure in just a few months. Road repair, electricity and water, street lamps, sidewalks, construction and improvement of hotels – the city of Kampala has been a mess. The meeting is now over and we are back to power and water shortages and an inquiry into where all the money spent for CHOGM actually went. The big news in the media with the queen gone is the recent Ebola epidemic which so far has killed some 40 people and infected another 100 or so. We also have plague, meningitis and cholera at the moment though it is confined to very specific areas of the country. Although it is very unlikely that someone in Kampala will get infected, people are still taking precautions, no more pushing when standing in lines, and a little cough will make too enthusiastic peddlers go away.
As I am spending more time in Gulu I am getting to know the IDP camps and their residents a little better. I get to hear their stories and sit sharing meals with a variety of women and their families. It always amazes me how willing people are to share what they have- especially when they have so little to begin with. The ongoing peace talks are always a big issue in conversations- while most are hopeful that there will be an agreement between the government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), many are still not confident enough to completely move back to their original homesteads. The majority of people I talk to go back and forth between the camps and their land. One important factor in why people are not completely moving back, other than insecurity and the uncertainty of the peace process, is the lack of schools, health clinics, potable water and a range of other basic social services such as agricultural or veterinary extension. As long as they remain in the camps it is easier for them and their children to access what little is available, such as attending school, visiting the local health clinic or drinking clean water. I sometimes find it hard to imagine that tens of thousands of people are in this process of moving home (and out of the IDP camps) despite the widespread lack of services where they are returning to, though I do understand on a fundamental level their notion or desire to return to their own land after decades of living in an IDP camp.
I have some good news from CAFWA. We have just completed our first agricultural training in Northern Uganda for 95 women living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs). Many of these women belong to the most vulnerable in the camps: widows, girl mothers, formerly abducted, and some HIV-positive women. The objective with this training was to give them better skills to improve their agricultural production, as this is their main source of income and an important piece of knowledge they can carry with them as they return home. Specifically it focused on post-harvest handling of crops and how to build viable storage structures to keep harvests safe from pests. The women also learned how to make organic pesticides and fertilizers to protect and nurture their vegetables and grains. The training was a huge success and the women are looking forward to the next installment that will take place in January 2008.
The tree planting project is also moving forward. In Gulu district, GWAD (Grassroots Women’s Association for Development) and CAFWA have finally signed an agreement for the planting of trees at 5 schools and with the 300 members of GWAD. There will be 3 types of trees: fruit trees for consumption and possibly for sale, income generating trees which can be harvested after 2 years, and long-term hardwoods for reforestation such as the local ‘Lusambya’, or Markhamia lutea. All the trees we are planting are native (except the oranges and mangoes). This turned out to create more issues than what I first realized as people were very skeptical towards using native trees- feeling they weren’t as useful or quick to grow as either pine or eucalyptus, exotic species grown widely in the area and therefore familiar to everyone. But after some good discussions (on lower water needs of native species, their ecological sustainability, their uses in herbal remedies, their rapid growth and their multiple uses in construction or as fuelwood) people were happy with native trees and are now coming up with new varieties they want to add to the nursery. The members of GWAD have just started to clear the area where the nursery will be established; as soon as the area is ready we will start sowing the seeds. It is planned that by next rainy season in May 2008, GWAD will have tens of thousands of tree seedlings ready for their members and the schools to plant out. That should be an exciting time.
We spent a lot of time and effort working on the budget for this important activity. I wanted GWAD to come out of this with a better understanding of how to make and prepare a budget that would not only be acceptable to an international donor, but would enable them to be far more accountable on all fronts. It has therefore taken much longer than what could have been expected. But I believe it has been a good learning experience for them, realizing that what is written in the budget needs to correlate to the actual expenses, that numbers have to add up, and that it requires some research and not only guess work.
The work with micro financing is still in its planning stages. I am reluctant to start it without giving the women a good foundation from which to start. Although micro financing has become somewhat of a magic word within development aid circles there are also many instances when it does not work. In Northern Uganda years of living in camps has to some extent created an attitude or an expectancy among IDPs that non-governmental organizations or the government should give and not expect anything back. Working in Gulu I have heard of several micro-financing projects which have failed as money that is lent is used for other costs rather than income generating projects. It is also rather expensive to do on an individual basis, especially for a small organization like CAFWA. I am however exploring the possibility of loans or revolving funds that will go to small groups of women, where the individual is not responsible to pay back to CAFWA but instead to the group itself, or the funds can be used collectively for major capital investment such as oxen for plowing which is difficult for an individual to purchase. If the funds are managed properly the group could potentially rotate the funds within the members. If it is not paid back the person using the money will have to explain it to the group which will create more pressure rather than an NGO they feel little allegiance to. I have been in good discussions with several agencies and individuals who have many years of experience in this field and will use their advice to help guide CAFWA’s further involvement in this area.
As you can see, there are many exciting activities happening with CAFWA and our partners. We welcome any financial support you can offer, and can provide a list of actual items or activities that these funds would help cover upon request (for example, $600 would buy a pair of oxen for a community group; $250 would enable a group of ten women to attend a vital 2-day training session; or $50 can buy a goat to help restock a family’s herd devastated by conflict.) For any one interested in giving a tax-deductible donation you can do so by sending a check to:
CAFWA
c/o Alexandra Cole
736 Coyote Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Or you can go to our website at www.cafwaafrica.org and give a donation through paypal. As I mentioned in the last newsletter, CAFWA is now a 501 (c) 3 registered organization so all donations are tax deductible.
Please contact me if you so desire
With thanks
Linda |
